


The Quiet Things That Nobody Knows

by dudesgotmusic



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Deaf Character, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2019-02-04 21:13:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12779628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dudesgotmusic/pseuds/dudesgotmusic
Summary: ((Writing this for fun because there needs to be more deaf representation in media.)) Eddie Kaspbrak is deaf. Being the only deaf person in Derry, he's never really had a real friend. That is, not until he's befriended by a group of rambunctious weirdos who call themselves losers. ((I'm not really sure where this is going, but it's pretty much going to be the group living happy lives and developing relationships and stuff. Reddie guaranteed. Probaby some stenbrough because I'm trash. I'll make their ages clear because they're going to be aged up for a majority of the fic.))





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> First time posting a fic so please don't tear me apart. If you want to follow my tumblr, my URL is beep-beep-richie-trashmouth

Edward Kaspbrak had been born into a world full of noise. The first things his young ears were to hear was his mother’s pained screaming and the doctors sharp orders as he was brought into the world in the warm, cramped delivery room.

That’s what was supposed to happen, anyway.

But things never go as planned.

Edward Kaspbrak, born two weeks premature on December 16th, 1976, was born into silence.

The tiny infant did not hear his mother’s pained cries, nor did he hear the doctor’s orders to the nurses. He did not cry or make any noise at all. Upon the small boy’s arrival, the room went silent as well, waiting.

While the doctors hurried to clean him up and wrap him in a warm blanket, both Mr. and Mrs. Kaspbrak became increasingly worried.

“Why isn’t he crying?” Sonia asked, her voice shaking out of fatigue and concern for her baby.

The doctors did not respond. They kept their backs to the Kaspbraks, muttering to themselves and working on the silent infant.

Mr. Kaspbrak tried to calm his anxious wife, petting her hair and quietly reassuring that their baby was fine, though he himself was afraid. Who ever heard of a silent baby? Not him.

After a few agonizing minutes, the doctors turned and presented the baby boy to the couple, carefully placing him in his mother’s arms.

“Congratulations,” one nurse said softly, smiling down at the woman. “You have a boy.”

“Is he alright? He hasn’t made a damn sound.” Mr. Kaspbrak replied as his wife gently touched her son's face, pressing tentative kisses on the top of his head. The boy simply stared up at his parents, his dark eyes wide with curiosity and void of any tears.

The doctor gave the young couple a grim look and eyed their small baby, figuring out how to break the news to them. He had never, in his decade of work in Derry, Maine, come across this. He had known the Kaspbrak’s long enough (well, Sonia at least) to know they won’t like the news. “We still have to do some tests, but we believe your son may be, er, deaf.”


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((All of Eddie's lines are ASL and I'll specify if any other character is speaking in ASL as well.))

It had been discovered that Eddie was, in fact, deaf, and that discovery seemed to have doomed him to a life of isolation.

After his father passed away when he was 5, Eddie’s mother seemed to have snapped. As overbearing and protective as she was before, she had become obsessed with Eddie and needed him to he near her at all times, claiming it was for his wellbeing. After all, deaf people can’t possibly live like normal people. 

“Eddiebear you need me; I’m the only one who speaks your language!”

“Eddie, you’re too sick to go out and play.”

“You’re prone to ear infections! Of course you can’t go swimming!”

All the poor boy ever heard was excuses to keep him close to home. People who saw them in town often looked at the boy with pity, knowing how much of a pain dealing with Sonia Kaspbrak was. Some were surprised he’d made it as far as he did; 13 years was an honorable feat, but the boy was nearing his wits end. In 13 years, he’d only ever been able to talk to one person because no one else in the damned town of Derry knew how to speak sign language. Hell, even his mom couldn’t fully communicate with him.

For all her faults, Sonia really did try to make life for her son easier. Upon the discovery of his deafness, she began learning sign language and teaching him as well so he would start off knowing a language like any other child. But after a few quick years went by, Sonia was told she had to stop speaking sign language or she risked medical issues with her wrists and tendons. She was distraught. Though it was difficult at first, she and Eddie made it work; Eddie went on learning like normal, becoming fluent at the same rate any other child would become fluent at their own spoken language, and Sonia only signed a little with Eddie, signing simple sentences to him and mostly speaking so he could read her lips. He detested reading lips, but he adapted quickly.

Having been homeschooled for his entire life, Eddie was fed up with having his mother teach him. He wanted to go to real school. He wanted to be pushed in the halls. He wanted to eat gross school lunches. He wanted to wear gym uniforms and run laps in the dead of winter. He wanted the real school experience.

After months of begging, Sonia gave in.

It was now the summer between 7th and 8th grade and Eddie was practically counting down the days until school started up again and he could go to school like the other kids in Derry. Summer time in Derry was Eddie’s favourite time. It was nice and warm and his mother let him away from her for a little bit to go to the library a couple times a week while she relaxed and watched her soap operas. What she didn’t need to know is what he didn’t always go to the library; she’d just about have a stroke if she found out he went to the park without her and a first aid kit.

It was at this park that Eddie would meet the best friends he ever made.  
\----------  
One hot August afternoon, Eddie found himself at the park again. He sighed contently as he shifted, sitting comfortably against the trunk of an oak tree, enjoying the cool shade.

Eddie was one of the only people at the park today; it was much too hot to be running around and playing, so most kids sought out the air conditioned arcade. Eddie had never been to the arcade. His mother said the flashing lights might give him a seizure.

He had become so invested in his book that he hadn’t noticed a group of kids nearing the park, shouting and joking loudly. He hadn’t noticed, that is, until he felt someone plop down next to him.

Eddie visibly jumped and looked to who had sat next to him. It was a boy with curly hair and a notebook in hand. He started talking to Eddie, who only looked on in slight horror. Someone was talking to him. Someone who very obviously didn’t know sign language. Someone he couldn’t communicate with. He looked like an idiot just sitting here gaping at the boy. 

Before he could start wheezing, the boy held up his notebook, large letters written clear across the blank page: Do you want to play with us?

Eddie stared for a moment before writing back: You want me to play with you? But I can’t talk.

By this point, the others had approached the pair. Bill leaned down in front of Eddie and read the paper before shrugging at him: We don’t care. You’re all alone here. Join us. My name is Bill.

One after another, the group wrote their names down for Eddie. He smiled and wrote his name down in return. The boy who had introduced himself as Richie grinned and helped Eddie up, his cheeky grin not leaving his face as he spoke. “Eddie? Ah well, I’m gonna call you Eddie spaghetti! ‘Ow ‘bout that, govnah’?” He said in a terrible English accent.

Eddie drew his eyebrows together and stared at the curly haired boy, completely confused and lost. What the fuck did he just say? He was able to pick up his name coming off the boy's lips, but after that, he had no idea what he said. All the other kids carried on as if nothing happened, making Eddie assume Richie was usually hard to understand, hearing loss or not. Some had broken off into their own separate conversations and others busied themselves with things in their surroundings. Eddie frowned when he realized Richie still had his eyes on him, waiting for a response from him. Eddie, at a complete loss, brought his hands up and communicated in the only way he knew how; he signed.

“I don’t understand what you said.”

By now, the others had come back together and all eyes were on Eddie as he signed to them. The more he signed, the more confused the group looked, and the more frustrated he became. “You know what? Maybe this won’t work. I’m sorry.” He signed with frustrated tears in his eyes. As he was about to walk away, he felt someone grip his bicep. When he turned back, he was met with Mike holding onto him, a vaguely desperate look in his dark eyes.

The dark skinned boy brought his hand to his chest and repeated the action for sorry in sign language. “This is ‘sorry’, right? You’re deaf, shit, uh.. I know a little sign language from my church.” His signs were slow and sloppy, but in Eddie’s mind, they were perfect.

“Thank you.”


End file.
